


We Found Love

by lavenderbees



Series: can't sleep [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Children, Death, Depressing, Dogs, Idea - Freeform, Injury, Inspired by Music, M/M, Sad, Short One Shot, Songfic, Unfinished, Zombie Apocalypse, heck, i guess, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 21:02:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11997897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderbees/pseuds/lavenderbees
Summary: Ivan and Yao find something (a.k.a I wrote it at 5:00am and it's based off of that one rihanna song read this)





	We Found Love

**Author's Note:**

> idk it's a common trope and it's sorta based on a rhianna song so y not

Ivan stuck out his hand cautiously, causing the small man behind him to halt suddenly. “What? Is it the Drags?”

 

“No. About 47 yards to the left, it's a pack of dogs.” Ivan squinted his eyes, trying to find what they were huddled around. He identified the body as a young child. She couldn't have been older than 6.

 

“They're eating. I think we could maybe sneak past, if we're quiet enough.”

 

“Okay,” Yao responded. He shifted from foot to foot. "Whenever you're ready.”

 

After counting to five under his breath, the Russian man dashed behind a rusted car. His partner followed after him, making sure the pack slung over his back didn't make any noise. The dogs didn't seem to notice, so Ivan and Yao dashed behind another car. They went on with that pattern until they only had a few more yards to the safety of the next fence.

 

As the two men ran, Yao tripped over an abandoned shoe and landed on his face. _“Fuck!”_ He hissed. His shoulder burned in familiar pain. “I dislocated it again!”

 

The dogs’ ears perked up as Ivan tried to help him up and simultaneously gather the contents of their spilled pack. Mad howls split the silent air and ricocheted off the close walls. After gathering everything and looping his arm the smaller man, Ivan dared a look back. The dogs were approaching quickly.

 

“Yao, we need to go quickly! Hurry, hurry!”

 

Yao moved his short legs faster, gasping in pain as his sprained ankle hit the ground over and over again. When they got to the fence, Ivan quickly crouched down so he could use his back as a makeshift ladder. His hands grasped the cold chain metal, fingers white as he climbed until he could reach the top. Hopping down onto the other side, he winced at the shock of hitting the concrete so hard. “Ivan, come on!”

 

The first dog rounded the corner, and Ivan scrambled up the wall. Yao tried not to focus on the black animal’s sharp teeth covered in blood. They nipped at Ivan’s foot that was just out of reach. When the man landed next to him, they had no time to waste. “We need to find a roof. All the Drags in the area know we are here.”

 

The brunette nodded in agreement and they fell into the same routine of life that they usually did. Sneaking around corners, Squeezing through cracks. Nowhere seemed tall enough to him, but Ivan always knew which places were okay and which weren't.

 

“There,” he pointed. The building must've been at least a mile away, but it was 5 stories high and it had a flat roof. The vines that were reclaiming the city grew halfway up, so it was good for climbing.

 

“Can you make it?” Ivan asked, but they both knew there wasn't really a choice. “Yes,” Yao nodded, and they snuck through the streets like rats.

 

Everything was quiet around them. There weren't any honking horns or chattering people like there would've been two months ago. The air smelled like rotting _everything_. No matter how long it had been like this, it still made Yao want to throw up. He clutched his knife to his side cautiously. Ivan had his pipe in front of him, switching between observing his left side and then right.

 

They heard the groans of Drags starting to grow louder as the sun got closer to sinking below the horizon. “Only a bit more,” Ivan reassured after a ragged breath from the shorter. “We just have to make it to the top, then we can rest. Can you do that, _kroshka_?”

 

“Yes,” Yao said firmly, even though every part of his body ached and his muscles strained with each step. Cold dread flooded his senses at a clang to his left. A Drag, but he couldn't see where it was coming from. His already choppy breaths cut off into a gasp for air and he froze in the middle of the street.  “Yao, come!” Ivan ordered sharply, but he couldn't move his feet. He had to see the little nightmare, to see its rotting face and dead eyes and torn jaw to believe that it was real. He had to make sure he wasn't just going crazy. He felt his body shake as a torn leg emerged from an alleyway, followed by an arm that's skin hung from the bone like window curtains.

 

Finally, Yao saw it. Open gashes and blood were splattered across its face. It's hair hung in tufts around its head, but for the most part, its bald scalp peeled open after days on end of sun exposure. Yao couldn't imagine how it would look, no, smell, in the Summer, and for the first time, he was grateful that the nights were chilly. He looked down to his- _it's_ chest. It was torn open, too, ripped down from its throat to its lower stomach. Blood and entrails hung out, dragging against the ground. Yao’s knees buckled beneath him. He fell to the ground, retching violently.

 

“Yao!” Ivan rushed to help him up again, carrying him away from the Drag that slid towards him. They rushed to the building, and Ivan looked at the pale man. “Yao, you need to climb. I can not carry you and the pack by myself.”

 

Yao could barely move his legs. Everything hurt so, so much. Everywhere he looked was a messy blur. It had gotten so much colder in the past few minutes and he didn't know where his jacket was. “I _can't_ …”

 

“Yao, you need to _now!”_   The urgency in his voice told him that a Drag was getting closer to them. The adrenaline of that possibility boosted him up, and together they scaled the back side of the building. When he reached the top the Chinese man collapsed on the warm stone, shaking and sweating as his heart pounded in his chest. “Ah.”

 

 Ivan pressed his palm against his chest. “It is okay now.” Yao grasped his hand desperately, moving it from his chest to his face.

 

“Are you okay? Your ankle looks very swollen.”

 

Yao nodded at the sharp pain that tingled up his leg. “Yes. Just… hurt… little.” The large thumb brushed across his cheek soothingly. The smaller leaned into it eagerly. “I'm tired,” he mumbled against his wrist.

 

“I know, _kroshka_."

 

Yao nuzzled his head into his neck. "I love when you call me that," he breathed, breath billowing against his jaw. His eyes fluttered closed. Ivan smiled in amusement. "Hm? Cute. I hate to bother you, but before you sleep… you're missing something, da?”

 

“What?” Yao asked. He opened his drooping eyes.

 

“The food. This morning you did not eat breakfast, da? I asked why, you say that you ate yesterday. I know that you did not eat at all yesterday. So I made you promise me you would eat tonight.”

 

Ivan rummaged around the pack before locating a can of soup and a bottle of water. Yao shook his head instantly, turning back around. “Not hungry.” Ivan scooted closer regardless, shoving it in front of his face again. “You must eat, Yao. You need strength. You have gotten skinny.”

 

“I already was skinny, Ivan.”

 

“I see your ribs like they are out of your skin!”

 

“Not hungry, Ivan.” Yao retaliated, finally finding the strength to sit up and push his back against the edge of the building. “What is important more is my shoulder. You help me or not?”

 

 "Yao, I-"

 

"Help or not?"

 

Ivan glared and grabbed his shoulder harder than necessary. All he gave in warning was a botched countdown from 3. A loud pop emitted from his arm. Yao’s vision swam as his joint was pulled back into place. Tears gathered in his eyes and he waited for the pain to subside. He should be used to it by now, but he never was.

 

He collapsed down and tried to find comfort in the steady ground against his back, but everything still hurt and everything was getting colder. Ivan sat dejectedly next to him, looking through what they had and what they needed. “We're getting low on bandages. We have enough granola bars for a week, but since you never eat it should be two weeks, da?”

 

“I-”

 

“I wonder what it would be like to have a skeleton as a partner? At least no Drag would want you. No fresh meat to feast on.”

 

“Ivan...”

 

“Have fun wasting away!” Yao shut his eyes.

 

“I'm _sorry_.”

 

“If you're sorry, then eat, da?”

 

“I can't. You need food more than I do!”

 

“I need you to eat! Yao, I refuse to lose you.” Their eyes met for a long time.

 

Yao thought maybe this scene would be familiar if it was happening 3 months ago. During Lunch, their Junior year, Ivan and he always used to spend it on the roof of their high school. They never talked much, but Ivan would always force him to eat his rice no matter how hard he protested that he wasn't' hungry. He closed his eyes for a moment, sighing and trying to remember what a proper bed felt like. He couldn't remember that, or how running shower water fell over his shoulders. He couldn't remember Mei and Leon's faces anymore.

 

"Yao!" He opened his eyes again and finally gave in, opening the soup with his knife and taking a long swig. It fell into his stomach uncomfortably, but he tried to hold the liquid down with a sip of water. He continued the pattern until finishing the can. It was now totally dark, and the only light he received was from the moon.

 

“Thank you,” Ivan sighed. "Thank you." He hugged the small man closer to his chest and offered his scarf as a source of warmth. The brunette gladly accepted and placed his cold nose in the crook of the taller’s warm neck. Ivan massaged his shoulder tenderly.

 

He felt safe in his strong arms. He loved the familiar smell of Ivan's sweat, and he could finally close his eyes without the vision of blood behind his eyelids.

 

The next morning, they woke up early to a scream.

 

“It is a child’s,” Ivan whispered. “I am going to try and find them.” Yao started to get up, but the Russian shook his head. “No, no. You stay here. I will come back.”

 

Yao didn't have any time to protest as he climbed down. He watched intently from the rooftop, holding his breath as the figure disappeared behind another building. For minutes on end there was nothing but silence, and then a wet crunch.

 

As footsteps came his way he called out quietly. “Ivan? Did you find child?”

 

He heard feet scrabbling up the wall. His heart almost stopped. “I-Ivan?” He croaked, grasping his dagger. “This isn't funny.”

 

A black head popped up from behind the ledge, followed by a short _“hmph”_ as little legs pulled him up fully. “Boo,” he murmured, but even the child looked confused as to why he was saying it at all.

 

“Did we scare him?” Ivan asked, appearing next to him. He grinned at Yao, unguarded joy in his eyes. “I found the child. I _found the child_ , and his name is Kiku.”

 

“Ah- Oh. Oh,” Yao blinked in overwhelming relief. Tears rose in his eyes. He crouched to eye level with the child. His eyes were dark and blank. Dried blood was smeared across his face, clothes, and stringy hair, but he reminded Yao of his brother, Leon. “Hello, Kiku. My name Yao.”

 

The child blinked before scowling slightly.  “What kind of name is that?” Yao was taken aback. “Um… Chinese one? ... How old are you?”

 

“My friend said I looked like I was 7. I’m 9.”

 

“What's your friend name? Where is he right now?” The boy's face crinkled for a long time in concentration. “Heracles. He wanted me to go ahead. He'd said he'd come back, but I heard him scream. I don't think he's coming back.”

 

Yao and Ivan met eyes. The tall man suddenly looked crestfallen. “I'm sorry for that Kiku," Yao whispered. He lost many of his younger brothers and sisters at the beginning of this hell, too. Ivan had lost his only two family members, Katyusha and Natalia. Yao didn't believe it at first. He'd known the two girls as babies. Hearing they were gone was a loss to him, too. He couldn't imagine how hard it must've been for such a young child. 

 

“You talk weird. I like Ivan better.” Kiku moved from in front of Yao to Ivan’s pant leg. The Chinese man sighed and stood. “Are you hungry?”

 

“No.”

 

“Do you want play with some marbles?” He held them out and Kiku cautiously took them, walking to the corner of the roof. Yao moved towards Ivan, resting his head against his chest. “What do we do?”

 

“We take care of him.”

 

“How? We know nothing, Ivan!  I refuse have another child life on hands.”

 

“It will not be your fault. But if we leave him alone, then he will die.”

 

Yao shook his head, but he knew it was true. There were only two things he could possibly do in the situation, and both were equally disastrous. All he could focus on was the sharp pain in his ankle. He felt a headache approaching. They had to start moving soon.

 

He looked back to the child. Ivan was right; He couldn’t make a day without food or water. He could barely climb anywhere without help. He needed them.

 

They needed _him_.

 

“Okay,” Yao sighed. “Okay, we’ll keep him.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> yeah this has no purpose but after listening to that song "We Found Love" by Rhinna + Calvin Harris i just,,, this was calling my soul, if you have any criticism for me leave down below!!!
> 
> kroshka - baby


End file.
